Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for the payment and collection of transit fares, and more specifically, to a system and method that utilizes a mobile device such as a cell phone to enable payment of a transit fare. Embodiments of the present invention are further directed to a system and method for using a contactless element such as an integrated circuit chip embedded in a wireless mobile device that may combine transaction payment and transit fare payment capabilities.
Many people regularly commute to work or travel for other purposes using transportation systems. Such systems include public transportation systems, for example, buses, subways, trains, ferries, and the like. Typically, these transportations systems require some form of fare payment at one or more sites of the system. One means of fare payment is the use of some form of payment card, from which a fare can be deducted against a previously established balance, or to which a fare can be applied as a credit type debt to be paid at a later date. However, such payment cards generally require that the user pass the card through a card reader or other mechanism, or hand the card to a transit operator. This requirement is inefficient and sub-optimal as transit users are often in a hurry, and do not wish to wait in lines or engage in a formal transaction process that may require more time than desired for authentication of the user and approval of the transaction.
The problems encountered in standard payment card systems has led to an interest in the use of contactless “smart” cards or contactless smart chips as part of a fare payment system. A smart card is generally defined as a pocket-sized card (or other portable payment device) that is embedded with either a microprocessor and one or more memory chips, or one or more memory chips with non-programmable logic. The microprocessor type card typically can implement certain data processing functions, such as to add, delete, or otherwise manipulate information stored in a memory location on the card. In contrast, the memory chip type card (for example, a pre-paid phone card) can only act as a file to hold data that is manipulated by the reading device to perform a pre-defined operation, such as debiting a charge from a pre-established balance held in the memory or secure memory. Smart cards, unlike magnetic stripe cards (such as standard credit cards), can implement a variety of functions and contain a variety of types of information on the card. Therefore, in some applications they do not require access to remote databases for the purpose of user authentication or record keeping at the time of a transaction. A smart chip is a semiconductor device that is capable of performing most, if not all, of the functions of a smart card, but may be embedded in another device.
Smart cards come in two general varieties; the contact type and the contactless type. A contact type smart card is one that includes contacts which enable access to the data and functional capabilities of the card, typically via some form of terminal or card reader. A contactless smart card is a smart card that incorporates a means of communicating with the card reader or terminal without the need for direct contact. Thus, such cards may effectively be “swiped” by passing them close to the card reader or terminal. Such contactless cards typically communicate with the card reader or terminal using RF (radio-frequency) technology, wherein proximity to an antenna causes data transfer between the card and the reader or terminal. Contactless cards have found uses in banking and transit applications, as they may not require removal from one's wallet or pocket in order to complete a transaction. Further, because of the growing interest in such cards, standards have been developed that govern the operation and interfaces for contactless smart cards, such as the ISO 14433 standard.
Even though contactless smart cards provide a solution to some of the problems encountered by standard payment cards in a transit fare payment and collection environment, they do not provide a complete solution. In transit applications, the speed of the transaction for the user is a primary consideration. This means that the transit fare payment and collection process can not be performed effectively using a standard on-line authentication and approval process, as may be used for a purchase transaction at a retail point of sale through the financial payment network. This presents a difficulty because effective fraud prevention typically requires authentication that the card user is entitled to access the transit system and has sufficient funds for the desired transaction. In addition, different transit systems will typically have different authentication requirements, fare calculations, and ancillary data requirements. This means that the smart card must contain the data relevant for the transit system a user wishes to utilize when the user attempts to access the system. This can become a significant problem if a user wishes to utilize more than one transit system, such as two transit agencies within a single geographical area or transit systems in two different cities or locations.
Further, as transit typically involves moving between stations, with different fare calculations and rates required depending upon the actual travel distance, direction, patron category, and/or times of use, fares may need to be computed based on station entry and exit location, direction, mode of travel, category of patron, and possibly time of day. This would require that the smart card terminals/readers at each station or route be able to perform these computations based on data stored and retrieved from a user's card, and subsequent card terminals/readers be able to access data written to the card at previous stations.
Thus, the transit environment presents several issues that make use of a standard contactless smart card or chip problematic. In addition to those noted, these issues include:                A need for one card per transit agency or group of cooperating agencies;        If a contactless payment card is used, it typically lacks the ability to write back to the chip, and data is not available on subsequent transactions to calculate the fare. This adds to the burden of the system having to keep track of card history and calculate the fare in a post processing system rather than at the gate or farebox;        It may be required that a patron, who is visiting a location or agency for the first time may need to register their card for use in that system. This may take a physical process of going and doing something before the card may be used in transit at the new location; and        Each agency or region may utilize a different set of file structures and/or information to handle their fare policy, and a single card may lack the appropriate data formats or encryption capability.        
What is desired is a system and method for payment and collection of transit fares that utilizes a contactless smart chip and which overcomes the noted disadvantages of current approaches.